Christian Fittipaldi isn't a typical open-wheel race driver. Most start in the small formula cars in Europe, graduate to the CART series and then, as soon as possible, try to migrate to Formula One to fulfill the dream that began in childhood.
Fittipaldi acknowledges he had the dream. But somewhere on the way to success, he took a different route.
He was so good in the smaller formula series - winning three championships in three different ones (Brazilian Formula Three, South American Formula Three and FIA Formula 3000) - that he was able to make an early jump to Formula One in 1992.
After 16 top-10 finishes, he moved on to CART, where for seven years he has been driving for Newman/Haas Racing.
But, after next Sunday's CART race in Mexico City, Fittipaldi's 14-year career in open-wheel cars will end and the nephew of Emerson Fittipaldi, the former World Formula One champion and 1989 Indianapolis 500 winner, will be a full-time stock car driver.
"When I get out of that car, I see it as being my last open-wheel race," he said. "Do I mean I am closing the door? No. But do I see me coming back to it? No. I see stock cars as my future for as long as I want to race."
He will compete in his first NASCAR Winston Cup race today at the Phoenix (Ariz.) International Speedway for Petty Enterprises, having finished 17th in Friday's qualifying.
Next season, Petty will have him competing in an array of Busch Grand National, ARCA and Winston Cup events to sharpen his skills in the bigger, heavier Dodge stock cars.
"It is not going to be easy," said Fittipaldi, 31. "It will be hard. I will be racing against drivers who have spent their entire lifetimes racing stock cars."
Already it is not easy. He has a three-year contract with Petty Enterprises, but the team is still searching for a major sponsor.
A lot of drivers might not do what Fittipaldi is doing. A year or so ago, when rumors were still flying that four-time Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon was considering a move to Formula One, Gordon was asked bluntly if he had any such interests in returning to his open-wheel roots.
"No one steps from stock cars directly into an 'F/1' car," he said. "First, there would be a test and then a tryout. Then a year or two in a lesser series and then, maybe, the opportunity to step up to 'F/1,' and even then, you might not be with a winning team. I've got too much time invested, too much success here, to take a three- to five-year risk on a move like that."
Of course, Fittipaldi has not had Gordon's success. In fact, his lack of victories in the CART series (two in eight seasons) is part of the reason he is willing to make this leap.
"You invest one, two, three years and then, after a while, you decide you are not going to be just a number in a series," said Fittipaldi, a Brazilian who has a residence in Key Biscayne, Fla. "You decide to do something else.
"I decided to do this because the timing and opportunity is here now. And, I like living in this country very much. If you want to be here, then you want to go to the most competitive form of racing, and in this country that is NASCAR. No, it does not have the quickest cars. But is it the most competitive? Oh, yes. By far."
Grandson promoted
A.J. Foyt IV, who won the Indy Racing Infiniti Pro Series as a rookie this season, has been promoted to the Indy Racing League for next year by his car owner and grandfather, A.J. Foyt Jr.
Foyt IV, who is 18, will be the youngest starter in IRL racing history, joining Airton Dare on the two-car team.
"Well, first of all, I've got to forget that he's my grandson, which you really can't forget," the elder Foyt said. "I've got my doubts about this, because this is going to be tougher competition than it's ever been. But he's had tough competition his whole career, and he's raced all over the country with different people - and won. ... That's kind of the way I did it in my early age, like when I'd go to NASCAR or when I went over to the East Coast and ran sprints. I loved to go in different fields and challenge, and I think that's what he likes to do."
The grandfather paused.
"It's going to be a hard road," he said. "He's very young, but he's got a good head on his shoulders. He listens to me pretty good, and like I've told him, 'If the car's not working, don't worry about where you finish or where you're running, because there will be another day.' "
Kenseth team sparkles
A year ago, Winston Cup driver Matt Kenseth's No. 17 DeWalt Racing crew came out of nowhere to win the Union76/Rockingham World Pit Crew Championship in record time. Last weekend, the No. 17 crew was even sharper.
Led by crew chief Robbie Reiser and pit crew coordinator Andy Ward, the group changed four tires and filled the car with fuel in only 16.823 seconds. That broke the crew's 2001 record by .862 of a second.
"It's pretty cool to win again," Kenseth said. "I don't have that much to do with the pit crew deal, obviously, but it feels good to have the guys do this. It feels good to have the confidence that when Robbie is calling the race to know that when you come in and need four tires you have the best in the business doing it."
It's a wrap
Hagerstown Speedway wrapped up its 55th season Sunday, when Greencastle, Pa., driver Gary Stuhler won the Turbo-Blue Hub-City National 150.
Stuhler had won every major late model event at the track except the 150, and was delighted with the $10,000 victory.
"I have been trying to win this race for 27 years or so," said Stuhler, who earned his fourth win of the year and his 102nd career win at the track. "I thought something might happen there at the end since I have never won this race."
Will Fair of Littlestown, Pa., won the Hoosier Tire late model sportsman feature, and Bryan Kerns of Berryville, Va., won the Ernie's pure stock main event. The wins were the first for both drivers.
The track's annual awards banquet is Dec. 21. Tickets are on sale at the speedway office.